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E. A. LE SUEUR.

ELECTROLYTIC CELL- APPLICATION FILED MAY 13, 1915.

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E. LE SUEUR. ELECTROLYTIQCELL. APPLICATION FILED MAY 13, 19I8.

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ELECTROLYTIC CELL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 13, 1918. Serial No. 234,296.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST A. Ln SUEUR, a citizen of the Dominion'of Canada, residing at Ottawa, in the county of Carleton and Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented new and useful Improvements in Electrolytic Cells, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has special reference to single liquid simple electrolytic cells having carbon anodes and is adapted to utilizing the carbon plates of the limited sizes obtainable in commerce so as to build up and effectively supply with heavy currents, with a maximum of simplicity andminimum of expense, great electrode areas.

In the drawings illustrating my invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a cell,

the containing vessel being in vertical central section.

Fig. 2 is plan of the same.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of said cell showing all the containing vessel broken away except the bottom.

Fig. 4 is a detail of a cathode section.

Fig. 5 is a detail of a bolt with accessories.

F ig. 6 shows a duplex form of current leading in member.

Fig. 7 shows an alternative method of connecting the anodic plate surfaces.

Figs. 8 and 9 show a composite anode having an alternative arrangement of current leading in members.

In said drawings, 1 is a current leading in member, preferably of carbon, formed, in the case shown, of a round piece flattened on two opposite sides near its lower extremity; 2, 2 and 2, 2 are separate divi-' sions of composite carbon plate surfaces; said divisions are shown of different widths and separated by a gap, but neither of these conditions isessential; 3, 3 are blocks, preferably of carbon. separating mechanically and connecting electrically the several pieces 2 and 2 with the current leading in member 1; 4:, 4 are plates, preferably of metal, as steel, constituting sections of the total cathode surface; 5, 5 are insulating pieces, conveniently of slate. hard rubber or the like; 6, 6 are plates, preferably of metal. as steel; 7 is a bolt, insulated from the carbon parts by the pieces 5, 5 and the insulating sleeve Patented Nov 23, 1920.

71, Fig. 5, and binding said parts together;

72 is a nut on said bolt; said bolt is electrically connected with the negative terminal by the wire 73; 8, 8 are insulating pieces, as of glass, slate or the like, lying on the bottom of the containing vessel 9; said pieces may be of any shape, extent or num-' ber desired consistent with the functions they are to fulfil; 9 is the containing vessel which I prefer to make of metal, as steel, 91 is the negative lead fast to said vessel 9 and electrically connected therewith; 10, 10, Fig. 2 are insulating pieces of any convenient form between the pieces 2 and 4 illustration of these is omitted in Fig. 1 to avoid complication of detail; 11 is the electrolyte; 12 is a layer of paraffin wax covering the latter; 21 is a hole in said wax; A is a hole in the member 1 accommodating the insulating bolt 7.

Fig. 6 illustrates a composite carbon current leading in member and attachments. In this figure 1, 1 are the two sections of said member, 2 and 2 fulfil similar functions to the parts 2 and 2 in the previous figures; 5, 5; 6, 6, and 7, 7 fulfil similar functions to 5, 6 and 7 in the earlier figures.

In Fig. 7, which illustrates a different.

method of attaching the carbon plate surfaces, the parts 1,, 2,, 2,,, 5,, 6 and 7 cor respond in functions with the parts 1, 2, 2, 5, 6 and 7 in the earlier figures. In this figure the current leading in ,member is shown square.

In Figs. 8 and 9 six (square) current leading in members are shown instead of but one (round) one as in Figs. 1, 2 and 3; also the carbon plate surfaces are shown single iece instead of composite. 1 2 3 5,, 6 and 7,, correspond in functions with 1, 2, 3, 5. 6 and 7.

1n the cell illustrated the cathode sections receive their current simply by resting on The insulating pieces 8 are adapted not only as a support for the pieces 2 but as a guard against short circuit in case any of said latter pieces break. Otherwise, support oil the bottom may be had in other ways, as by an insulating block (as of cement or brick) beneath the piece 1. The cathode sections may be of any desired shapes and supplied, in any way other than that described, with current; but the great advantages in the matters of cheapness and simplicity incident to the use of this type of free, independent, removable plate connected through simple gravity contact with a metallic bottom will be obvious, and such use is, I believe, novel. I

Thebolt 7 may be replaced by other equivalent arrangements. as, for instance, by a pair of balanced bolts, properly insulated as is 7, bearing the points X, X, Fig. 3. For many reasons I prefer tl e bolting arrangement as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. Said bolt may be made of insulating i terial but at a sacrifice of strength. cheapness and reliability. if no gap is used between the plates 2 and 2 (as in the case of the pieces 2 and 2', 6) or in cas the carbon plate surfaces are made singl-v piece instead of composite (as in the case 0 2 in Fig. 8) the necessaryholes are made to accommodate the bolt 7 and its shield 71. An important feature of my invention is the connecting of said bolt with cathodic current whereby it is protected from attack by the corrosive solutions usually produced in the single liquid type of 00111.4 ercial cell; and the incorporation of a metal bolt in a bon anode beneath the surface of the electrolyte and exposed to contact with the latter I believe to be novel.

I have shown and described what 1 consider far the best method for applying the cathode sections, but any other may be used without departing from the other novel points of my invention. More cathode sections than I have shown may be used, especially in the spaces partially occupied by the current leading in members and outside the ends of the carbon plate series. As regards the latter, however, and in spite of the higher electrical resistance involved in the currents flowing between the outer faces of such end plates to the metallic containing vessel 9 compared with what would be the case if cathode sections were supplied at points closer, l prefer not to supply such sections on account of the better protection afforded to those portions of said vessel which would otherwise have cathode sections interposed between them and an anode surface.

Variations in the precise designs illustrated may obviously be made without departing'from the essentials of my invention. For one thing, the functions of current leading in member and carbon separating blocks may be combined and in consequence a multiplicity of narrow, current leading in members be employed, each ate fraction of the total current from suitable connections above the electrolyt The general system illustrated herein for building up the composite anode is obviously that of brid ing clamps,the pieces 3 and 5 bridging two sections of a composite carbon member (save in case the latter is made single instead of composite) no attempt being made to clamp more than two sections with a single such piece, whereby positive electrical contact is insured betweeeach bridging piece and'both sections of the adjacent carbon member. This method is desirable if we are to be able to use the more or less warped and uneven rough plates and other shapes of carbon and graphitized carbon found in commerce without fitting and planing and at the same time secure good contacts. I do not wish to confine myself to the use of plane carbon surfaces for what I designate, for the sake of simplicity, the plates and composite plates in my apparatus. A special feature of my invention is that it enables me to clamp curved surfaces in pairs according to the principle I have set forth above, and even round carbon rods may be thus treated.

The present invention is especially adapted to the manufacture of hypochlorite bleaching solutions although it may also be employed for other purposes requiring ap paratus of this general type. F or the (commercially) eficient preparation of sodium hypochlorite a solution of common salt of a concentration of about 4.5 grams per liter may be used and the temperature be kept relatively low. preferably below 30 C. A good commercial current density is around 30 amperes per square foot of anode surface, and these conditions being fulfilled the depreciation costs .on the apparatus are much the lowest of any of which I have known and the production. eiiiciency remarkably high.

The arranging of the member 1 to extend only part way down the face of the plate 2 has the double advantage of economizing carbon and of increasing the area of composite anode that can be made using sizes of carbon current leading members obtainable in commerce.

F or the manufacture of most of the products for which the presentcell is adapted it is desirable to lreep the temperature below the melting point of high grade paraflin wax, and the use of a solid covering of paraffin, as 12, is of great value in suppressing liberation of toxic gas and enhancing the electrochemical eiliciency.

I claim r 1. An electrolytic cell having an anode taking its appropripossessing a carbon current leading in mem ber and a plurality of composite carbon plates separated by saidmember.

2. An electrolytic cell having an anode possessing a current leading in member, carbon plates connected with opposite sides of the lower portion of saidmember, con-' ducting pieces clamped against the outsides of said plates so as to press said plates against said member and a second set of plates clamped against the outsides of said pieces.

3. An electrolytic cell having an anode possessing a composite carbon plate, a plurality of sections of which lie in substantially the same plane, and a carbon member bridging and overlapping in both directions the path of separation of two such sections and clamped against said sections.

a. An electrolytic cell having an anode possessing a current leading in member, two sections of a laterally extending composite carbon plate lying one above another clamped against said member, a separating conducting piece clamped against said composite plate and a second composite plate clamped against the other side of said piece.

5. An electrolytic cell having an anode possessing a current leading in member and paired sections of laterally extending composite carbon plates fast to opposite faces of said member.

6. An electrolytic cell having an anode possessing a carbon current leading in member, a carbon plate extending laterally and downwardly beyond the lower portion of said member, a carbon piece clamped against said plate on the opposite side from said member and another laterally extending carbon plate clamped against said piece on the opposite side of same from the said first mentioned plate.

7. An electrolytic cell having an anode possessing a carbon current leading in member, a carbon plate extending laterally and downwardly beyond the lower portion of said member, a second carbon plate, extending laterally from said member, lying above said first mentioned plate and substantially in the same plane, the said first mentioned plate being of greater width (vertical meas ure) than the second.

8. An electrolytic cell having an anode possessing a carbon current leading-in member, of substantially cylindrical shape at its upper portion and flattened on opposite sides at its lower portion, and carbon plates clamped against said opposite sides.

9. In an electrolytic cell a composite member having carbon anodic parts and metallic cathodic clamping parts insulated therefrom.

10. An electrolytic cell having an anode possessing one or more carbon current leading in members and a plurality of carbon plates, the whole clamped together with metal insulated from said anode and supplied with cathodic current. I

11. An electrolyticcell having an anode possessing one or more carbon current leading" in members and a plurality of carbon plates lbolted together with a metal bolt insulated from said anode and supplied with: cathodiccurrent. i

12. In an electrolytic cell a plurality of carbon anode surfaces, independent, removable cathode members therebetween, a cathode surface thereunder, contact between the former and the latter cathode surfaces being had by gravity.

13. An electrolytic cell having a plurality of carbon anode members, independent, removable cathode members therebetween, a cathode surface thereunder, insulating members preventing contact between said respective anode and cathode members, contact between the former and latter cathode surfaces being had by gravity.

14. An electrolytic cell having a plurality of anode members, independent cathode members therebetween, a cathode surface thereunder, insulation partially covering the latter, contact being had between the said cathode members and exposed portions of said cathode surface.

15. An electrolytic cell having a plurality 'of anode members, independent cathode members therebetween, a cathode surface thereunder, insulation partly covering the latter, contact being had by gravity between said cathode members and exposed portions of said cathode surface.

16. An electrolytic cell having a plurality of carbon anode members, independent cathode members therebetween, a cathode surface thereunder, insulation partially covering the latter surface, electrical contact being had by gravity between said cathode members and exposed portions of said cathode surface.

17. An electrolytic cell having a plurality of anode surfaces, cathode surfaces therebetween, the whole contained in a cathodic metallic tank, insulation partly covering the bottom of said tank beneath said anode and cathode surfaces,electrical contactbeing had between said. cathode surfaces'and exposed portions of said bottom.

18. An electrolytic cell having a plurality of anode surfaces, cathode surfaces therebe tween, the whole contained in a cathodic metallic tank, insulation partly covering the bottom of said tank beneath said anode and cathode surfaces, electrical contact being had by gravity between said cathode surof anode members, cathode members therebetWeen, a cathode member thereunder and insulation beneath said anode Inernbers. '22. An electrolytic cell having a plurality 5 of carbon anode members, cathode merr'ibe'rs therebetween, a cathode member thereunder and insulation beneath said anode members.

23. An electrolytic cell having a plurality of anode members, cathode members therebetween, a oathode surface thereunder, insulilting members between said anode and cathode me mb ers and insulation beneath s ii id anodefmernbers, I

ERNEST A. LE SUEUR. 

